Etymologically
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planète

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /pla.nɛt/[1]

Forms

planète f (plural planètes)[1] Planete (1119), planestre (Béroul), planet (14th century), planette (1539); written planete by the Académie in 1694 and 1718, planète from 1740[2]. Masculine or feminine in Old French.[2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin planēta (“wandering star”) (2nd century), a remaking of the plural “planētēs”,[2][3][4][5][6] from Ancient Greek πλανήτης (planḗtēs, “wanderer”), used in “planêtes astéres” “wandering stars”, as opposed to the fixed stars,[2][3][1] from πλανάω (planáō, “to lead astray; passive, to wander”).[2][7][1] The origin of the Greek verb is obscure.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Philippe de Thaon's Comput (1119) the planets are royal stars que en Latin numum Planetes: wandering stars, including the Sun and the Moon.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Ancient astronomy counted seven planets, the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn[2][8][9]; Béroul's Tristan already has les set planestres.[2][8][9] In the 14th century the planet was the star thought to rule a person's destiny, hence être né sous une bonne planète (Furetière, 1690).[2][9]

With the new astronomy the word took its modern sense, a body circling the Sun: Fontenelle (1686) writes that the Sun has ceased to be a planet and the Earth has become one.[2][3] Planétaire dates from 1553.[4] In modern use la planète is also the Earth as a whole, à l'échelle de la planète.[10]

Timeline

  • 1119 – A wandering star (Philippe de Thaon).[2][3]
  • late 12th century – Les set planestres (Béroul).[2]
  • mid-14th century – A star ruling destiny.[2]
  • 1553 – Planétaire.[4]
  • 1686 – A body circling the Sun (Fontenelle).[2][3]
  • 1690 – Né sous une bonne planète (Furetière).[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A planet, a body revolving around the Sun or another star.[9][1]
  2. La planète: the Earth, the world as a whole.[10][9]
  3. (astrology) A planet seen as ruling destiny: être né sous une bonne planète.[9][8]
  4. (historical) A wandering star, as opposed to the fixed stars.[9][2]

Word family

  • planétaire
  • Ancient Greek πλανήτης (planḗtēs)
  • English planet

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 9, 14b
  7. ^ Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
  8. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse